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Abstract
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Aims: This study evaluates the number of adolescents hospitalized for psychotic symptoms between 2015 and 2024 in an Adolescent Psychiatry service in Portugal. It examines the average age of symptom onset, diagnoses, and comorbid mental disorders.
Methods: A total of 144 adolescents were included. Descriptive analysis was conducted using Excel, with categorical variables characterized by absolute and relative frequencies.
Results and Conclusions: The average age of patients hospitalized for psychotic symptoms was 15.8 years (range: 12–17). Males accounted for 66.7% (n=96), while females represented 33.3% (n=48). Patients averaged 1.3 hospitalizations, with a maximum of 6.
The most common DSM-5-TR diagnosis was unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder (n=68; 47.2%). Diagnoses included Delusional Disorder (1.4%, n=2), Brief Psychotic Disorder (2.8%, n=4), Schizophreniform Disorder (0.7%, n=1), Schizophrenia (13.9%, n=20), schizoaffective disorder (1.4%, n=2), and substance-induced psychotic disorder (4.2%, n=6). Additionally, 23.6% (n=34) were diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, and 4.9% (n=7) had major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
The most frequent comorbidities were intellectual developmental disorder (18.7%, n=27), autism spectrum disorder (6.3%, n=9), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (6.5%, n=8).
This study provides a comprehensive overview of adolescents hospitalized for psychotic symptoms in Northern Portugal, highlighting the prevalence of unspecified non-organic psychosis as the primary diagnosis and the significant co-occurrence of neurodevelopmental disorders, which underscores the complexity of these cases.
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